Art Notes: 'Brown Girl, Dreaming' selected for Jax Reads!

Charlie Patton

Thursday

Aug 27, 2015 at 6:19 PM

The selection for this year's community-wide reading event, Jax Reads!, is "Brown Girl, Dreaming," a memoir in verse by Jacqueline Woodson, which recounts what it was like growing up African-American in the 1960s and 1970s. "Brown Girl Dreaming" won the 2014 National Book Award for Young People's Literature and was named a Newbery Honor winner.

Woodson will speak and do a book signing in the Hicks Auditorium in the Main Library, 303 N. Laura St., at 2:30 p.m. Oct. 4. Beginning Tuesday, the Jacksonville Public Library system will be encouraging members of community to read "Brown Girl, Dreaming." Every library location will have at least one program or book discussion group for young people to explore the book's themes. Full details will available Tuesday at jaxpubliclibrary.org/jaxreads2015.

'Celebrate St. Augustine' art exhibit opens

The St. Augustine Art Association will open its 92nd season with the exhibit "Celebrate St. Augustine," which runs from Friday through Sept. 28. The exhibit is part of the city's 450th anniversary celebration. Eligible works include pieces created in the last three years in any style that reflect St. Augustine's landscape, people, wildlife, history and culture. Cash awards for the juried show include a $450 prize for most outstanding tribute to the city. Art work may be delivered from noon-6 p.m. Tuesday and from noon-4 p.m. Wednesday at the gallery at 22 Marine St. The entry fee is $15. Members may enter one piece and all entries will be accepted.

Art show Tuesday at Tapa That

Tapa That, 820 Lomax St. in Five Points, will present "The Gala!" from 6-9 p.m. Tuesday, the fourth in series of art shows that also feature wine tastings and charcuterie. The work of artists Victor Ali, Sebastian Pierre and Joseph Moore will be on exhibit and available for sale. Admission, which is $25, includes tastings of five red and five white European wines, a full spread of characuterie and a complimentary beer or craft cocktail.

'Insane with Power' auditions at OPCT

Orange Park Community Theatre will hold auditions for the comedy "Insane with Power" at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday at the theater, 2900 Moody Ave, Orange Park. Auditions will consist of cold readings from the script. Enter the rehearsal hall through the rear entrance staircase. The show will be performed Nov. 6-22.

Southern landscape slide show at MOCA

Throughout the exhibition "Southern Exposure" the Museum of Contemporary Art Jacksonville, 333 N. Laura St., has been asking people to share their photographic interpretations of Southern landscape on social media. MOCA will celebrate the best examples in a repeating slide show from 5-9 p.m. Wednesday during downtown Art Walk.

New R Middleton studio opens

R Middleton Painting Studios will hold a moving-in party from 5:30-10 p.m. Wednesday. The studio is located in the Art Center Cooperative, on the top floor of 229 N. Hogan St.

New art exhibit at Karpeles

There will be an opening reception from 5-8 p.m. Friday at the Karpeles Manuscript Library Museum, 101 W. First St., for "SPECTRUM II: Various Imaginings," an exhibition of work by Jacksonville artist Drew Edward Hunter. The exhibit opens Wednesday and continues through Oct. 31. The Karpeles, which currently has a manuscript exhibit on very early baseball, is open 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Monday-Saturday. Admission is free.

Terkel's 'Working' a musical at ABET

"Working," a musical based on Studs Terkel's book of the same name, opens Friday at Atlantic Beach Experimental Theatre, 716 Ocean Blvd., Atlantic Beach. Performances will be at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday through Sept. 19 with Sunday matinees at 2 p.m. Sept. 13 and Sept. 20. Tickets, which are $20, can be purchased at abettheatre.com or by calling (904) 249-7177.

Collaborative exhibit at space:eight

There will be an opening reception from 6-11 p.m. Friday at space:eight gallery, 228 W. King St., St. Augustine, for "Extended Playbook," a collaborative art exhibit featuring seven Atlanta artists. There will be an opening performance bgy IFLY, featuring Extremely Michael, DJ Dad Bod, Quixotesan, Doom Das Booty Bot and Air Envy. The show will run through Dec. 31. Admission is free.

Visually impaired artist's exhibit opens

An exhibit of art about St. Augustine's architectural heritage by visually impaired artist Steven Dean Anderson opens at 11 a.m. Friday at Villa Zorayda Museum, 83 King St., St. Augustine. The artist will greet visitors to the museum from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday, Sept. 7. The exhibit will continue through Oct. 1.

New art exhibit in Flagler Beach

There will be an opening reception from 6-9 p.m. Friday at Ocean Art Gallery, 200 S. Oceanside Blvd., Flagler Beach, for "Paradise Lost and Found" by acrylic painter Michelle Palmucci. There will be light refreshments and a demonstration by Palmucci of her technique at the free event.

Cummer Museum free on Saturday

Admission to the Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens will be free Saturday, as on the first Saturday of each month. There will be a docent-led tour at 2 p.m.

EMMA's 'Fiesta 450!' marks St. Augustine

In celebration of St. Augustine 450th anniversary commemoration, the EMMA Concert Association will present "Fiesta 450!," a Spanish-themed extravaganza on Sunday, Sept. 6, at the St. Augustine Amphitheatre, 1340C Florida A1A S., St. Augustine. Doors open at 3 p.m. There will be free performances of music and theater from 4-7 p.m., followed by a ticketed performance by the Ensemble Espanol Spanish Dance Theater at 7:30 p.m. Tickets range from $19-$39. They can be purchased at the amphitheater box office and at the Ponte Vedra Concert Hall box office, 1050 AIA N. They can also be purchased by going to staugamphitheatre.com or calling (800) 745-3000.

Send submissions to Arts Notes to charlie.patton@jacksonville.com.

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